Drive mechanism



Gv 12,19% L. B. GREEN 1,7355

DRIVE MEGHANISM Filed Jan. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov, l2 l929 n.. B. GREEN 1,735,459

DRIVE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 9l 1,929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2A- Patented Nov. l2, i929 LEE B. GREEN, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BOBDEN COMPNY, OF WAR- BEN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO narvn MECHANISM Application filed January 9, 1929. Serial No'. 331,276.

This invention relates to improvements in a drive mechanism for washing machines and the like, and relates to machines of the same character as that disclosed in my co-pending, application, Serial No. 307,448, filed September 21, 1928. y

One of the objects of the inventlon 1s the provision of a simple and easily operable means for var ing the eccentricity of aneccentric, whereby the stroke of a connecting rod may be altered.

A further object is the provlsion 1n connection with such means of a continuously operating rotary connection between the eccentric carrier and a shaft mounted 1n alignment with the carrier, whereby the rotation of the shaft is unaffected by the adjustment of the eccentric, and in fact is entirely independent of the eccentric adjustingmeans.

Still another object is the provlsion 1n a mechanism of the kind stated wherein continuous rotation is imparted to a shaft by the eccentric carrier, of means for varying the eccentricity of the eccentric, which means shall not be called upon to take the load of the shaft or other rotating parts and may, therefore, be easily operated.

Other objects and features of novelty will A appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention whlch, for the purposes of the present appl 1cat1on, I have illustrated in the accompanying .drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view lllustrating my invention as applledto a washmg machine' Fig. 2 isa plan view of the operating mechanism with the up er section of the gear casing removed, the view being taken substantially upon the line 2 2, Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sectlonal vlews taken substantially on the line 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig.v 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental detall view on a larger scale of a portion of the worm shaft, showing means for creating a spray of oil.

In the drawings, I have illustrated'the invention as ap lied to a washing machine of the submerge oscillator'type, a fragment of the tub being illustrated at 10. At the center -ing section 14 by a roller bearing 16 or otherwise. Above its bearing 16, this shaft has keyed thereto a pinion 17 which meshes with a toothed sector 18 that is mounted toitoscillate upon a stud 19 mounted in the casing section 14. The. sector 18 is pivotally connected with a connecting rod 20.

In the opposite side walls of the casing section 14, below the level of the connecting rod 20, I mount a shaft 21 that is adapted to be attached directly or indirectly to a driving motor (not shown). Within the casing this shaft carries a worm 22 which meshes with a worm wheel 23. rIhe latter has a depending hub 24 which is rotatably supported in a bushing 25 carried principally y a suitably formed portion of the casing section 14. The thrust produced by the weight of the worm and superposed .parts is taken upon a washer 26.

The worm wheel 23 is provided with an upwardly extendingv rojection inthe form of a crescent 27 which 1s preferably cast integral with the wheel. The crescent is smooth upon both of its side surfaces. It is surrounded by anv internal gear formed upon an eccentric 28, the center of the gear being offset from the center of theeccentric, as clearly shown in 2. Withinthe smooth inner wall of the crescent 27, there is a'pinion 29 that is prol vided with an extension hubbearing externally in a counterbore 30 of the worm wheel. The pinion 29 meshes with the gear teeth on the eccentric 28. Consequently, as Vit rotates,

. The pinion 29 normally rotates with the worm wheel 23. It is capable of limited rotation with respect to the worm wheel 23, however, and this relative rotation is brought labout by a slide bar 32 provided with spiral grooves 33 that cooperate with spiral threads 34 on the internalsurface of the hollow pinion 29. The slide bar 32 also'has rectilinear grooves 35 A which engage corresponding splines in the hub of the 'worm wheel 23. Hence, as the bar 32 moves up and down in the worm wheel 23, its spiral thread connection with the pinion 29 produces rotation of the latter with respectv to the worm wheel.

Below the casing section 14, there is an eX- tension casing 36 into which the bushing 25 protrudes. This extension casing is preferably secured to one of the legs 37 of the machine by means of a hook bolt-38 and its nut, the casing 36 having an arm 39 formed to partially embrace the leg 37. There may be provided also an-arm 40 for attachment of a leg brace (not shown) One side of the casing 36 is provided with a removable plate 41 carrying a boss 42 in which is formed a bearing for a shaft 43 provided with a packing 44. On the inner end of th i haft 43 is a pinion 45 which meshes with a rack 46 that is provided with a flat rear face engaging a flattened inwardly eX- tending portion 47 of the casing 36. By the latter means a slide bearing for the rack is provided opposite the pinion 45, and the rack is prevented from turning. The rack is made from tubular material and within its bore rotatably receives a rod 48, which is threaded at its upper end into the bottom of slide bar 32. The lower end of rod 48 has pinned thereto a collar 49. The rack 46 is therefore carried by the bar 32, but does not rotate with that bar. The lower end of the casing 36 may be closed by a Welch plug 50 or other suitable means.

On the upper side of the casing section 13, I mount a hollow wringer post 51l having a ianged base 52 secured to the casing section 13 by screws 53,01" the like. Inside the post 51 there is a tubular shaft 54 which is mounted for rotation, its lower bearing 55 only being here illustrated and being formed preferably integral with the upper casing section 13, and carrying packing 56. The

'bore of the tubular shaft 54 is of suiiicient diametertopermitthe bar 32 to slide freely therein. At its lower end, the shaft 54 has welded, or otherwise secured thereto, a plate or collar 57 in which is mounted a depending of the eccentric 28 and of the eccentric strap 31, and hence holds them 1n proper position. l

. all times.

This plate, together with the end of the shaft 54, also engages pinion 29 and prevents its upward movement.

The casing extension 36 and the lower part-n ward drops into the upper trough-shaped surface of the connecting rod 20 and flows to the outer end thereof, and thence through a hole 60 into the recessed upper surface of the sector 18. Ducts 61 and 62 draw oil from the sector into the bearings around stud 19 and the pivot for the outer end of the connecting rod. The overflow from the sector 18 lubricates the pinion 17 and the bearing 16 for the lower end of thef'shaft 12. In order vto assist the worm 22 in throwing upk oil, I may place upon the shaft 21 adjacent one end of the worm 22 a sheet metal sleeve 63 having a radial flange 64 from which are stamped out at intervals blades 65 that are adapted to dip into the oil in the casing as the `shaft 21 rotates.

When it is desired to operate the machine,l

the shaft 21 is caused to'rotate, as by means of a suitable electric motor. The worm wheel 23 is thus rotated at a considerably decreased rate of speed. The eccentric 28, which is locked inposition upon the worm wheel by means of the intermeshingteeth on the eccentric, and on pinion 29, .then revolves and reciprocates the connecting rod 20 which oscillates sector 18 and thereby the agitator shaft 12. At the same time, rotation is imparted to the wringer shaft 54 through the intermediacy of the pin 58 and the plate 57. The position of the eccentric in Fig. 2 is that which-itoccupies when it is set for the maximum stroke of the agitator. Now should itbe desired to reduce the length of stroke, the shaft 43 is rotated manually by any suitable connections to cause pinion 45 to turn anticlockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, and thereby to raise the rack 46 and the slide bar 32. This may be done while the machine is in operation.V The pinion 29 is thereby rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the top, and the eccentric 28 uis made to-travel around the crescent 27 by virtue of the intermeshingi .Y

teeth on the pinion and on'the eccentric.

In Fig. 2, I have marked the axis of pinion 29 and of'worm wheel 23 with the letter A, and the centers of the crescent 27 and eccentric 28, I have marked B and C, respec tively. The point A remains stationary at Ihe point B revolves about the point A during-the operation of the machine,

' the radius of rotation remaining constant at all times. The point C also revolves about the point A during the operation of the machine, but its radius .is variable, and when the radius is changed, that is by the operation of the control mechanism described, the point C moves in an arc of a circle about the point B. With these three points in alignment, as shown, the throw of the eccentric is at itsmaximum. Its throw is decreased gradually as the point C moves in its circle toward the point A, and when it arrives at the point A, the eccentricity of the eccentric is zero, and the connecting rod receives no motion whatever.

Hence the control of the eccentricity of the eccentric not only serves to regulate the length of the stroke of the agitator, but serves also as a means for starting and stopping the agitator. As the crescent 27 is fixed upon the worm wheel 23, the pin 58 revolves constantly in a given circle regardless of the adjustment of the eccentric, and consequently the shaft 54 turns at a constant speed at all times when the motor of the machine is running.

The slide bar 82 has no work to perform other than the rotation of the pinion 29 with respect to the worm wheel 23, and therefore it may be actuated with a minimum of effort to eect the necessary adjustments of the agitator stroke and to start and stop the agitator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Driving mechanism of the character herein described, comprising a driven Wheel, a shaft in alignment with the axis of said wheel, an eccentric carried by said wheel between the latter and said shaft, means for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric, and an operative connection between said driven wheel and shaft, independent of said means, for rotating the shaft.

2. Driving mechanism of the character herein described, comprising a driven wheel, a projection rigidly attached to said wheel and extending laterally therefrom, an eccentric surrounding said projection and operatively connected with said wheel, means for varying the eccentricityrof said eccentric, a shaft in alignment with the axis of said wheel, and an operative connection between said projection and shaft.

3. Driving mechanism of the character herein described, comprising a driven wheel, a shaft in alignment withv the axis of said wheel, an eccentric carried by said wheel between the latter and said shaft, means located concentrically of said wheel for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric, and an operative connection between said driven wheel and shaft outside of said means.

4. Driving mechanism of the character herein described, comprising a driven wheel, an eccentric carried thereby, a bar slidable in the hub of said wheel, a hollow shaft in alignment with the axis of said wheel and adapted to receive said bar, an operative connection between said wheel and hollow shaft outside of the bore of the latter, and means cooperating with said bar for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric.

5. Driving mechanism of the character described, comprising a driven wheel, an eccentric carried thereby, an eccentric strap surrounding said eccentric, a shaft in alignment with the axis of rotation of said wheel, a disk attached to the end of said shaft, said disk overlying said eccentric and eccentric strap, whereby the parts are held in operative relation, and a driving connection between said wheel and said disk.

6. In a mechanism of the character described, a connecting rod, a driven wheel, an eccentric mounted thereon and operatively connected with said connecting rod, a slide bar movable in the hub of said wheel, a rack carried upon but rotatable with respect to Said slide bar, means for preventing the rotation of said rack, a pinion meshing with said rack, means for operating the pinion, and means cooperating with said slide bar for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric.

7 In a mechanism of the class described, a driven wheel, a shaft in alignment with said wheel on one side thereof and connected to be driven thereby, an eccentric mounted on said wheel and operatively connected therewith, a connecting rod arranged to be driven by said eccentric, an axially arranged and axially movable slide bar extending from said wheel in a direction opposite to that of said shaft, and means cooperating with said slide bar for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric.

8. In a mechanism of the class described, a driven wheel mountedl upon a vertical axis, a shaft above said wheel in axial alignment therewith and connected to be driven thereby, an eccentric mounted above said wheel and operatively connected therewith, a bar mounted in the hub of said wheel and having a limited movement independently thereof, meansl operatively connected with the lower end of said bar to move the same, and means cooperating with said bar for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric.

9. In a mechanism of the class described, a driven wheel mounted upon a vertical axis,

an eccentric mounted upon the upper surface thereof and operatively connected therewith, a bar mounted in the hub of said wheel and movable independently thereof, a liquid-tight casing into which said bar depends, a rack carried by said bar within said casing, a pinion in the casing meshing with said rack, whereby said rack, pinion and bar may run in oil, and means operatively connected with saidbar for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric as said bar is moved vertically by said rack and pinion.

. 10. Driving mechanism of the character herein described, comprising a driven wheel, a projection extending laterally therefrom, an eccentric surrounding said projection and operatively connected with said wheel, means for varyingthe eccentricity of said eccentric, a shaft in alignment with the Iaxis of said wheel, and an operative connection between said projection and shaft, independent of said 5 means, for rotating the shaft.

11. Driving mechanism of the character herein described, comprising a driven wheel, a projection extending laterally therefrom, an eccentric surrounding said projection and operatively connected with said wheel, means located concentrically of said wheel for varying the eccentricity ofsaid eccentric, a shaft in alignment with the axis of said wheel, and an operative connection between said projection and shaft outside of said means.

12. Driving mechanism of` the character herein described, comprising a driven wheel, a projection extending laterally therefrom, an eccentric surrounding said projection and .20 operatively connected with said wheel, a. bar

slidable in the hub of said wheel, a hollow shaft in alignment with the axis of said wheel and adapted to receive said bar, an operative connection between said projection an-d hollow shaft outside of the bore of the latter, and means actuated by the longitudinal movement of said bar for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric. y

13. Driving mechanism of the character 3o described, comprising a driven wheel, a projection extending laterally therefrom, an eccentric surrounding said projection, an eccentric strap surrounding said eccentric, a shaft in alignment with the axis of rotation of said wheel, a disk attached to the end of said shaft, said disk overlying said eccentric and eccentric strap, whereby the parts are held in operative relation, and a driving connection between said disk and Said projection.. In testimony whereof, I hereunto atlix my signature.

LEE B. GREEN. 

